When Harry Met Hermione
by DarkAngel1227
Summary: What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter Story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. the characters and world belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Ok so I saw the Deathly Hallows and even though I'm a Ron/Hermione shipper in the books, the chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson has always been there and this movie it was even more apparent in their dancing the scene and Ron's nightmare of a naked snogging session between Harry and Hermione. Those made me rethink Harry/Hermione so I had to write a of what if's story about them.

**When Harry Met Hermione**

What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if Ron wasn't a big part of their lives? Which means no Ginny either. Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter story.

Book 1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

**

* * *

****Platform 9 ¾**

He was thinking and talking but when he looked back Hagrid and disappeared, he was on his own. He supposed he didn't someone holding his hand the whole way; he should be able to find the train he needed on his own. So he pushed his cart and looked up at the signs with the platform numbers. He pulled his ticket out of his pocket and looked at it. _"Platform 9 ¾." He_ said to himself. He hadn't been to many train stations in his life well, actually none at all. But even then he was quite sure that they labeled them in solid numbers not fractions of a number.

When he saw the signs for nine and ten he stopped and looked around. "Excuse me" he asks a guard standing nearby. "Do you know where platform 9 ¾ is?"

"Being funny are you? There is no platform 9 ¾" is the reply he got and then the guard wandered off muttering something about time wasters. Harry once again looked between platforms nine and ten hoping to see something different.

"Are you sure?" he heard a woman's voice ask.

"I'm sure, this platform 9 and this is platform 10, platform 9 ¾ should be right here where this post is" said a young girl with bushy brown hair. He looked at the cart she's pushing which was filled with things similar to what he had in his. "I believe we just go through it"

"Excuse me?" he asked moving his cart closer to the family. They all had brown hair and were dressed as any normal family would be, so he had to make sure before he made a fool of himself again. "I'm sorry did you say you knew where platform 9 ¾ was?"

"Are you going to Hogwarts too?" the girl asked as her face brightened up. He's about to answer when she interrupted him. "Of course you are" She said to him. He doesn't know if he's supposed to speak now so he just smiled.

"I'm Hermione Granger, these are my parents" she said pointing to the older couple that stood behind her and smiled at him.

"Harry Potter" he said taking her outstretched hand and smiled at her parents. She smiled back and started to position her cart between platforms nine and ten. He was a little surprised by her reaction, everyone else he met earlier had acted shocked and awed by his name, and she just took it as a regular introduction.

She left her cart and ran to give her parents a hug. He looked away slightly saddened that he had never had that. She ran back to her cart, smiled excitedly at him again and started to run. He watched her head straight for the brick post and disappear. He looked around the station wondering what everyone must be thinking; a girl vanishing into a brick post had to be noticed. But no one saw they rushed about as usual having not seen anything.

He lookede back at Hermione's parents as they too wondered if anyone saw that. So Harry goes to spot she had just occupied. "Goodbye, nice meeting you" he said to her parents and ran at the post with his eyes closed. He opened them when he heard the sounds of a crowd all around him. He looked and saw that he was in a different station, he saw a scarlet red steam engine and the sign Platform 9 ¾. He made it.

"Isn't that brilliant" the girl named Hermione said as she joined him. "An invisible barrier that only we can see" He smiled at her, and then looked back at the post he had just gone through, she was right it was brilliant.

They found an empty compartment, put their trunks on the shelves and sat down. His heart was still racing because everything was happening so fast. Just a few days ago he was a regular ten, well now 11 year old going to regular school and living his miserable live with the Dursleys. Now he was wizard that could walk through walls and he was going to learn how to do magic.

"An entire world exists and muggles don't know about it" Hermione said breaking his train of thought as she opened a book and began to read.

"Uhh…what?" he asked.

"Muggles are non-magical people. Like my parents. I'm the first witch in my family" she said as she smiled proudly.

He lookd at her. "So you didn't know about any of this before?" he asked finding that hard to believe she seemed to know a lot about being a witch.

"Not until I got the letter" She replied "And I suppose that's how it was for you too" she said a little more softly. He heard the pity in her voice she did know who he was, he was thankful that she didn't mention it.

"And your parents were ok with it?" He asked, even though the Dursleys reactions shocked him because they knew about it, but he tried to imagine what it would be like for people that had never heard about the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"They really don't know what to think quite yet, we were all a little shocked since neither of us had ever dreamed that witches and wizards were real. But they said they were proud of me no matter what I was or wanted to do with my life." She told him. Suddenly a plump boy pops his head into their cart. "Have you seen a toad?" he asked.

They both shake their heads at him."No, sorry" they both answered. The boy bowed his head sadly but then looked back up just as Harry was moving a stray strand of hair from his face. "Blimey, your em'" The boy said. "You're Harry Potter!"

Harry forces a smile onto his face. "I am" he replied with a sigh.

"I'm Hermione Granger and you would be?" she asked the boy who was gawking at Harry's scar. She stood in front of Harry so the boy was forced to look at her.

"Neville Longbottom" the boy answered.

"Good, now we all know each others names" she said and smiled brightly at the young boy.

"Right" Neville replied, ashamed and looked away from his scar. "Sorry" he said. "It's just that your real, the boy who lived is real" he said and then they all heard a scream a few compartments ahead. "Trevor!" he exclaimed and bolted out of their compartment.

"Thanks for that" Harry said to her.

"Not a problem" she replied and closed the compartment door in case they anyone else dropped by to see him. As she did her bookmark fell out and Harry reached to pick it up for her. He looked at and saw a picture of an older wizard with a long beard and the name Albus Dumbledore written on a scroll in front of him. The picture smiled at him and then promptly walked out of sight.

"I'm sorry, but the picture on your bookmark just disappeared" Harry told her handing the bookmark back to her.

"That's alright, he'll be back" she told him. "It's really brilliant the pictures in this world don't just stand still like the ones we're used to they can move freely into any other portraits they have" Harry was amazed everything he was learning about this world and it made him want to learn more.

"Who is Albus Dumbledore?" he asked.

"He's the headmaster at Hogwarts" she replied as she sat down and started flipping the pages of her book to find the page she had lost. "You are quite famous in the wizarding world, Harry" she said as she placed the bookmark in her page and put the book down to talk directly to him.

"Is that common knowledge to everyone? I thought you said you just found out you were a witch" Harry asked wondering if he was the only one that didn't know his story.

"I did, but I wanted to know everything. So I spent quite a lot of time in the bookstore in Diagon Alley. There were loads of old newspapers. Which have moving pictures also by the way" she tells him as she smiled widely. "Your story was in them, you're the only known survivor of the killing curse" She looked at him before she continued. "Cast by the darkest wizard of our time"

"Voldemort" Harry replied then covers his mouth. "Opps, I forgot I'm not supposed to say his name"

"If everyone knows who you-know-who is then we might as well just call him by his name" she replied. "Well anyways Voldemort came from Slytherin, so that makes sense." Harry raised his eye brow at her. "Slytherin, one of the four houses we have a chance to be sorted into" Harry shook his head. "Honestly, Harry haven't you read any of the books that you bought"

"No…I've well… I looked at the covers" he replied sheepishly.

"I couldn't wait to read them; I wanted to know everything there was to know about this new world. I mean just a few months ago I was a regular girl in primary school and now I'm a learning to be a witch." Harry did smile at that, because he knew that feeling. "The houses are Hufflepuff the house that values hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play, Ravenclaw the house that values intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit, Slytherin the house values ambition, cunning, leadership, resourcefulness, and most of all, pure wizard blood, every dark wizard's come from Slytherin." She told him. "And the Gryffindor house values courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry"

"Are you sure this is the first you've heard you were a witch?" Harry asked and lookd at her like she was an exhibit in the zoo; he had never met anyone quite as enthusiastic about school as she was. She suddenly stood up and grabed her trunk and pulled out a black rope. "We should be arriving soon, we should change" she said and slid out of the room to find the woman's lavatories.

Harry sighed and pulled on his ropes, she was a strange one that girl. Why on earth would anyone read all the books before the school term started? He supposed he did well enough in school and he did like going there but that was only because it was time away from the Dursley's. She knocked on the door to make sure he was decent before entering. He helped her take her trunk down and they line up at the door and wait for the train to stop.

They walk off the train just as two red headed boys rushed past them with gleeful smiles. They began to move forward when another red headed boy ran past them. "Fred, George give him back!' the boy yelled at the other two who they assumed were his brothers started running faster.

Hermione took a moment to catch her breath since they were almost knocked over by the three boys. "Are you ok?" Harry asked her and she nods.

"Firs' years, follow me" a familiar voice called out and Harry ran over to him.

"Hi'ya 'Arry" Hagrid said to him and Harry looked up at him with a huge smile. He was happy to see the large hairy man. Then he noticed that Hagrid stared just to the left of him. "This is Hermione Granger" he said introducing him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir" Hermione said and held out her hand. Harry watched as Hagrid's larger hand swallowed up her tiny one.

"Sir?, jes call me Hagrid" He told her.

Everyone else that joined them stared and pointed at Hagrid most looked afraid and Hagrid either didn't notice or didn't care. "You're not afraid of him?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Why would I be?" she asked innocently. "By his height, I'd say he's half giant"

"You're a smart one, aren't ya. Me mum was a giant and me dad was a wizard" Hargird told her as they made their way down a steep narrow path that lead them to the edge of a black lake. Harry saw a fleet of boats on the shore."No more'n four to a boat" Hagrid called out to them.

Harry tried to see what lay on the other side but it was too dark to make anything out. He followed Hermione into a boat and Neville climbed in after them. They werethen joined by another dark haired boy. "Seamus Finnigan" they boy with an Irish accent said introducing himself.

"Everyone in" Hagrid shouted. "Forward" and the boats started gliding easily against the smooth dark lake. As they neared the other side atop a mountain sat a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Everyone was silent; and stared at the great castle that seemed to loom over them as they neared.

"Isn't grand" Hermione said excitedly. Harry looked down when he noticed her hand had grabbed his which she didn't seem to notice since shes still stared awestruck at the castle. She reminded him of the annoying girls in his class, ones that he didn't like to be around but for some reason he didn't mind when she put her hand on his. He actually liked it, it was softer and warmer than any hand he's held previously, well actually he's never held a girls hand before she was his first.

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. the characters and world belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: So after some reviews I changed Ron to Slytherin because after thinking about Ron is better suited for them.

**When Harry Met Hermione**

What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if Ron wasn't a big part of their lives? Which means no Ginny either. Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter story.

Book 1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* * *

**The Sorting Hat**

They kept moving and went under a dark tunnel and came to a rest in some kind of underground harbor. They clambered out onto the rocks and pebbles. When the doors opened Hermione grabbed his hand again and they ran up the stairs and were first in line.

"So it's true then" he heard a male voice say to them and they both turned to face the boy the voice came from, he was standing just below them on the second stair. "You're him…Harry Potter" Harry nods. "I'm Draco Malfoy. And this Crabbe and Goyle" he said pointing to the two thickset boys that stood on either side of him. Hermione tugged on his ropes and whispered for him to stop talking. "And I don't recognize you" Draco said and turned his attention towards Hermione. "So you must not be from a wizarding family" He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find that some families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, especially mudbloods" he said ands casted a glare at Hermione.

He heard Hermione's breathe hitch and he turned to look at her. "I…I don't think that was appropriate…you should apologize" Neville said from behind Harry.

Draco looked around to see where the voice came from. "And who are you then?" he asked.

"Neville…Longbottom" he answered trying to hide the shaking in his voice. Draco laughed, "Longbottom, I've heard about you, well your parents. They got what they deserved for turning in their own kind."

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks" Harry said to Draco coolly.

"I'd be careful if I were you Potter" he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what good for them. You hang around riffraff like Longbottom, Hagrid and a filthy mudblood it'll rub off on you."

"That's enough, please be quiet" a voice said startling them. They looked at the top of the stairs at a tall witch dressed in emerald green robes with a very stern look on her face. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall" Hagrid said to her.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take it from here" Professor McGonagall said. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

"What's a mudblood?" Harry asked Hermione in a whisper. "It's someone that doesn't have any wizards or witches in their family" Neville answered.

"It's an insult" Hermione said trying to hold her head up high like it didn't bother her, but he could see that it did.

"Trevor" Neville suddenly screamed out as his toad jumped on the top the staircase. He grabbed a hold of him and looked up at the face of Professor McGonagall. He swallowed loudly and goes back to stand next to Hermione.

Professor McGonagall pulled the doors that were behind her wide open. They started walking through the huge Great Hall. Harry thought that in his wildest imagining he could never dream of something like what he was witnessing right now. There were thousands of tiny candles that floated in mid air over four long tables where the seats were filled with students. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. He looked up at the ceiling that was filled with a starry night sky.

"It's not really the sky, it's bewitched to make it look like were outside" Hermione told him excitedly forgetting the previous incident now that they were really inside Hogwarts. "I read about in _Hogwarts a History"_Harry just smiled and nodded along with her.

Harry looked down when Professor McGonagall places a four legged stool in front of them. On top of the stool was a frayed and patched up wizard's hat. Professor McGongall called out a name "Abbott, Hannah" the girl walked up and sat on the stool and she placed the hat atop her head.

They all stared at the hat and suddenly the hat twitched and rips near the brim opened and the hat spoke. "Hufflepuff" shouted the hat.

The table decorated in canary yellow and midnight black cheered as Hannah ran to join them. Professor McGongall continued to call off names.

"Finnigan, Seamus" Professor McGonagall. Seamus whom they had met in the boat joined the Gryffindor table.

"Granger, Hermione" Hermione grined at him and ran up the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head which fell right down over her eyes as she sat down. The hat's mouth moved to the side thinking then said. "Gryffindor!"

The table decorated in scarlet and gold erupted with cheers and Hermione jumped off the stool and went to take her seat. More names were called and put into the four houses. He saw that Malfoy had gotten into Slytherin the green and silver table. By the looks of them he wasn't surprised that it turned out dark wizards, they looked like an unpleasant bunch.

"Potter, Harry" Professor McGonagall called out his name and the entire room descended into silence as he made his way up to the podium. Then he heard the whispering.

"It's really him"

"Did you see his face"

"Did you see the scar"

The last thing Harry saw was everyone craning their necks to get a good look at him. He waited while staring at the inside of the hat. "Hmmm…" said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see not a bad mind either. There's talent and nice thirst to prove yourself" the hat continued.

_Not Slytherin, not Slytherin _he thinks to himself. "Not Slytherin" the hat says reading his mind. "You could be great, you know, it's all in your head and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that – no? Well if you're sure – better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry let out a sigh of relief and jumped off the stool as soon as the hat was taken off his head. He ran to the Gryffindor table and took a seat next to Hermione who smiled proudly at him and Neville who had also gotten into Gryffindor. Harry looked around at the table and saw the two boys that were being chased by the smaller one were at his table along with another red headed boy but that one had glasses.

Harry watched as more people were being sorted. "Weasley, Ronald" Professor McGonagall said and the red haired boy that had nearly knocked them over ran over to the stool. "Another Weasley…hmmm" the hat says. "Hmmm...You're different then the rest...SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat.

The boy named Ronald looked up at the hat in shock and the three red heads at Harry's table shared his expression. The red headed boy walked somberly over to the Syltherin table which also shared the same shocked expression as the young boy's brothers.

When she is at last finished a tall older wizard with a long beard he recognized as Albus Dumbledore stood up and silenced the room.

"Welcome first years and students to another year at Hogwarts" Dumbledore began "I also have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." And with that he sat down.

Harry just realized how hungry he is, just as he's about to ask if they were getting anything to eat a feast appears on the table.

Harry dug into the food; he had never seen such a feast like this in his life. The Dursley's didn't exactly starve him but he was never allowed to eat as much as liked. Harry bit into a treacle tart as Hermione started talking to the Gryffindor Prefect named Percy the red headed boy's brother about lessons.

"I do hope they start right away, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult"

"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing" Percy told her.

As excited as he was to start learning magic he didn't want to think about it yet, he just wanted to enjoy the delicious feast. He took another bite and looked up at the high table. He saw Hagrid drinking deeply from his goblet, Professor McGongall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell whom he met earlier in the Leaky Claudron was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and shallow skin.

Suddenly the hook nosed teacher looked past Professor Quirrell and directly into Harry's eyes – and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked turning around to face him with a worried look on her face. "What is it?"

"N-nothing"

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling from the teachers look; it was feeling he didn't like at all.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" He asked Percy.

"That's Professor Snape. He's the head of the Slytherin house and teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job."

"What does Professor Quirrell teach?"

"Defense against the Dark Arts." Percy told him.

Harry watched Snape, but the teacher did not look at him again. When the food had disappeared Percy made them all stand up and walk out of the Great Hall. They followed him up the marble staircase; he led them past doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. Then they reached more stairs.

"This is the most direct path to the dormitories. Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases, they like to change. Keep up, please, and follow me. Quickly now, come on. Come on." Percy said directing them up the stairs and down the corridor.

"Are you sure you're alright, Harry?" Hermione asked as they followed Percy as quickly as they could.

"Yea. It's just a headache" He told her, unsure of what exactly had happened. His scar had never hurt like that before. He would've thought more about it but he was getting really tired it had been a very long day.

They stopped in front of a portrait of a very fat woman who said "Password" _"Caput Draconis_." Percy answered and the portrait swung open revealing a hole in the wall. They all scrambled inside and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy round room full of squashy armchairs and a fireplace.

"Boys' dormitories are upstairs and down to your left, girls the same to your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up."

Harry said goodnight to Hermione and followed the boys up to one of the towers and they found their beds. Four four poster beds hung with deep red, velvet curtains. He found that he shared a room with Seamus, Neville and a boy named Dean Thomas. All of them too tired to do much talking so they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

Tbc...

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Please leave a review if you want me to continue this story.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. the characters and world belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Ok so I saw the Deathly Hallows and even though I'm a Ron/Hermione shipper in the books, the chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson has always been there and this movie it was even more apparent in their dancing the scene and Ron's nightmare of a naked snogging session between Harry and Hermione. Those made me rethink Harry/Hermione so I had to write a of what if story about them.

**When Harry Met Hermione**

What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if Ron wasn't a big part of their lives? Which means no Ginny either. Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter story.

Book 1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* * *

**Transfiguration**

Hermoine Granger had gotten up extra early; mostly because she was too excited to get much sleep. They were going to learn how to actual magic today. She got dressed quickly and ran down the stairs and found the common room empty; no one else was up yet. She didn't know why no one else was up they were going to be late for the lessons.

She took her wand and pointed it towards the boy's dormitory; she cast a spell that she had read that was similar to an alarm clock. In her old school the boys weren't nice to her; they made fun of her hair or her teeth and called her names just because she was smarter than they were. But Harry was different; he was nice to her even if he thought she was bit weird. So she wanted to help him out after all they both came from the muggle world, and she saw how his green eyes lit up whenever they discovered something new. He was just as excited as she was to be here.

Harry yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes; he was woken up by a consistent ringing in his ears. He continued yawning as he followed Hermione out of the fat lady portrait. Hermione had insisted they get up as to not be late for their first class of the day. When they arrived they found the classroom empty except for Professor McGonagall. Hermione dragged him to a desk in the front row and they sat down. So now he sad with her and looked around the classroom that was filled with various items. He looked back at Hermione when he heard the scribbling noises of her quill. He saw that Hermione had her book open was reading and taking notes. "The lessons not started yet how do you know what to read?"She told him to be quiet and continued taking notes as the classroom started to fill up.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts" Professor McGonagall told the class "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Then she suddenly turned her desk into a pig and back again.

That got the whole classes attention and they couldn't wait to learn that. But they soon found out that they wouldn't be learning how to turn furniture into animals for a long time. She made them read a chapter in _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ and told them to take notes. Then she turned herself into a cat and perched herself on the edge of her desk. They were all impressed, Harry wanted to ask Hermione about it but she shushed him again, took his book and opened it to a chapter titled _Animagus_.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. Hermione of course got it on her first try; Professor McGonagall showed the class and gave her a rare smile. No one else had made any differences to their match but Seamus Finnigan did manage to set himself on fire. Professor McGonagall made Neville take him to the infirmary.

The rest of the classes on the first day were not as interesting, especially History of Magic which was taught by Professor Binns who was a ghost. Then they had Herbology with a dumpy little witch named Professor Spout where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. The next two classes were Charms taught by Professor Flitwick who was so short he had to stand on a pile of books to teach the class and the class he wasn't looking forward to Potions taught by Professor Snape.

He, Neville and Hermione took a seat in the back of the classroom as the Slytherin house had taken all the seats up front. For once he was grateful for that, he didn't want to be any closer to Professor Snape then he had to be.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Professor Snape began speaking in a low whisper but they were able to hear every word, like Professor McGonagall Snape had a gift of keeping a class silent without much effort.

Harry leans over to ask Neville if he heard anything about Snape as the memory of last night's headache had come back to him full force as soon as they entered the dungeon. He figured Neville might know something because he had been born in this world.

"Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention. Mr. Potter... our new celebrity." Professor Snape made sure to let that last word linger on his tongue. "Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? " Harry startled could do nothing but shake his head. He glanced to the side to see that Hermione's hand was high in the air. The room was silent as Snape was still waiting for his reply. "I don't know, sir" he says finally finding his voice.

"You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione was now practically standing on her chair to raise her hand higher. "I don't know, sir" Harry replied again as he heard the Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and the rest of Slytherin house snickering.

"Pity, clearly fame isn't everything, is it Mr. Potter" Snape replied snidely. The rest of the class wasn't any better; they were split into pairs and were to make a potion to cure boils. He swept around the room in his long black cloak, watching the weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs. He criticized everyone except for Malfoy, whom he seemed to favor even though with Hermione as his partner their potion looked exactly like Malfoy's.

Then suddenly there was a cloud of acid green smoke and a loud hissing sound. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor. The whole class jumped onto their stools so it wouldn't touch them. Neville, who had been drenched in the potion moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his body. Snape snarled and now it was Seamus's turn to take Neville to the infirmary.

"You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong did you, did you? That's a point from Gryffindor." Professor Snape told him.

That was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione had pulled on his ropes so hard he almost fell off his stool. He turned to look at her and she shook her head quickly. He sighed resigned, why did Snape hate him so much?

Having Hermione as a friend had its advantages as she was always helping Neville and him with their homework, with her help they were able to finish quickly and have some free time. And Neville had used that free time to teach him how to play Wizard's chess. While the pieces didn't look much different from regular chess, when the game started like everything else in this world they were extraordinarily different. You told the pieces where to move and they moved on their own and when your piece was removed they were actually destroyed by your opponent's piece. When the game was over the pieces magically rebuild themselves and moved back to their original places.

While they were playing Hermione was of course curled up in one of the armchairs reading. This time though she was reading a newspaper called the Daily Prophet. When she flipped the page an article caught Harry's attention.

**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**

Harry stood up and walked over to her and she looked up at him. "Did you read the article on the front?"

"About the break in, yes" She replied. "Why?"

"Can I?" he asked holding his hand out and she quickly handed him the paper. Harry flipped it over and spread the article out on the table in front of them and began to read. "Believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number seven one three, had been emptied earlier that very same day." He paused "That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to."

"Did you see what was in the vault?" Hermione asksed him knelt down next to him and read the rest of the article again.

"No, Hagrid was being really secretive though" Harry told them.

"Maybe we should go talk to Hagrid" Hermione suggested, Harry nodded his head in agreement. If they left now they wouldn't make it back in time for curfew and Hermione wasn't one to break the rules so they would have to go tomorrow after their lessons.

The next day Harry tried to pay attention to the lessons instead of trying to figure out what Hagrid had taken from Gringotts but that was proving difficult since the classes he had today were not as interesting. But at three thirty that afternoon it was time for flying lessons and that was what he was looking forward to the most since finding out he was a wizard.

It was a clear breezy day as they marched down the slopping lawns towards the smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest. Once again they were with the Slytherins which was something that Harry wasn't happy about. He didn't want to make a fool of himself on a broom in front of Draco Malfoy.

There were about twenty broomsticks laying in neat lines on the ground He, Hermione and Neville walked over to them. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Madam Hooch barked. "Everyone step to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say Up!"

"Up" everyone shouted.

Harry's broomstick jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. When he looks over at Hermione's hers had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all. He grinned proudly as he saw Hermione staring at him in jealousy.

Hermione was upset that flying was something that couldn't be learned from a book although she tried. She had spent all breakfast telling them flying tips she had gotten from "Quidditch Through the Ages". Neville had hung on to her every word desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick. The rest of the table was delighted when she was interrupted by the mail. Neville had received a package from his grandmother and opened it excitedly and pulled out a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be filled with white smoke. "It's Rememberall" he explained to Harry. "Gran knows I forget things" he then went on explaining how it works. If you had forgotten something the smoke turned red and his did only he couldn't remember what he had forgotten.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it, and grip it tight. You don't want to be sliding off the end." Madam Hooch said shaking Harry from his thoughts. He listened closely as she explained what to do. "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly, and touch back down. On my whistle...three, two...(tweet). "

Neville nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips and took off into the air like a cork shot out of a bottle. "Mr. Longbottom...Mis- Mis- Mis-Mister Long-...Mister Longbottom!" Madam Hooch shouted, but Neville's broom kept going higher. Harry and Hermione could do nothing as they saw his scared white face look down at the ground, saw him gasp, slip sideways of the broom and WHAM – a thud and nasty crack, Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville. "Oh, dear, it's a broken wrist. Poor boy. Come on now, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say "Quidditch".

Ron picked up Neville's Remeberall, he hated how his family was always the butt of everyone's jokes, and he wanted to change that. He got into Slytherin a house that only accepts pure bloods that meant something. He nudges Draco on the shoulder; he's ignored at first then Draco turned to see who dared to touch him.

"Did you see his face?" Draco saidwhen he felt someone grabbing his ropes."Weasley" he said with disgust in his voice, then smiled. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would've remembered to fall on his fat arse." Harry heard Draco say and turned to see Ron handing him Neville's Rememberall.

"I doubt it he probably can't tell his head from his arse" Ron said trying to impress the Slytherin's. One way to get to status is to become friends with one of the most powerful pure blood families, the Malfoy's.

Draco smiled at Ron. "Maybe you're not like the other Weasley's, that's a good sign" Draco told him and Ron beamed.

"Give it here, Malfoy" Harry said to him.

"No, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about on the roof?" Draco said smiling nastily as he hopped onto his broomstick and began to hover above the ground. "What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?" He said smiling again and took off flying above the branches of an oak. "Come and get it, Potter." He taunted.

Harry grabbed his broom. "Harry, no!" Hermione shouted "Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all in trouble, and you don't know how to fly" she said as she tried to grab onto his ropes to stop him but she was too late he pushed off the ground hard and found himself soaring up. Air rushed through his hair, and his ropes whipped out behind him and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he could do something without being taught. It was wonderful.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Draco in midair and smiled at Draco's stunned expression. "Give it here," He said. "Or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Is that so? Have it your way then!" Draco sneered but Harry could see the worry in his features. Harry somehow knew what to do, he leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands and shoot out towards Draco like a javelin. Draco just barely moved out of the way in time. "No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck" Harry called out to him as he turned around and held the broom steady. He heard the people below clapping and cheering for him.

"Catch if you can then!" Draco shouted and threw the glass ball high into the air and headed back toward the ground. Harry saw it as if it is in slow motion, he saw the ball as it streaked across the sky and he leaned forward and his broom picked up speed as he kept his eyes on the ball. It was heading straight for a window in one of the towers so he leaned forward some more, he held his hand out and grabbed a hold of the ball and made a sharp about face so he wouldn't crash through the window.

He smiled proudly as he made his way back to the ground holding the Rememberall. His classmates cheered as he held it above his head.

"Harry Potter!" he heard a shout from behind him, he turned around to see Professor McGonagall and his face fell.

"It wasn't his fault, Professor -" Hermione said trying to stick up him.

"Be quiet, Miss Granger – "

"But Malfoy –"

"That's enough, Mr. Potter follow me"

He walked back into the common room a little while later and Hermione is in face. "Did you get in trouble, what happened, Harry?" She asked. She was angry that he was foolish enough to disobey the rules even though his intentions were noble. But most of all worried about what McGonagall would do; she knew what Madam Hooch had said. She didn't want Harry to get kicked out of Hogwarts.

"Nothing" he answered as he walks further in and she followed him right on his heels.

"What do you mean nothing?" She asked, she couldn't imagine Professor McGonagall called him away for nothing.

"I'm" he began. "I'm the seeker for the…Gryffindor Quidditch team" he said still processing the turn of events himself.

"Professor McGonagall made you the seeker? I didn't think first years be could be seekers" Hermione said with her mouth agape, she was not expecting that to be his reply.

"I'm the first in over a century" Harry said pleased with himself. He found something he was good at.

"I'm happy for you Harry that is an honor" Hermione said to him with a genuine smile, he smiled back at her. Then all these doubts started rushing into his head, he had never played Quidditch nor heard about it until just this year. "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked noticing the change in his mood.

"I've never even played Quidditch! What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood." She told him then grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the dormitories. She took him down a few corridors and stopped in front of a trophy case. She hadn't been searching for it but she had just happened to glance at the case when she walked down the corridor. She had been meaning to talk to Harry about it but she gotten caught up in schoolwork and didn't remember until he told her that he had made the Quidditch team.

He looked to her wondering what they were doing here. She sighed and pointed to a trophy sitting on the middle shelf. Harry leaned towards the glass and looked at the inscription. "My father was a seeker?" he asked in awe.

"Yes and a brilliant one at that" Hermione said smiling at him proudly. "You'll do great" she told him.

Finding out that his father was a seeker too made him feel a little better, he now hoped he could make his father proud by doing well. "Hermione?"

"Yes" she answered. "What else do you know about them, my parents?"

"Only what's in the newspapers, I saved them, you can read them if you want" She replied and he nodded his head. "I'll get them from my room which we should be heading there now, we don't want to be out past curfew" Hermione said and he followed her down the hallway. "Hurry up, Harry!"

He was still thinking about his father when he pitched forward slightly and had to grab onto the rail of the stairway. "What's happening?"

"The staircase move, remember?" Hermione told him worried now because that meant they'd have to take the long way back to the Gryffindor tower. They hear a sniffling noice and they both look at each other wondering what that could be. "Mrs. Norris?" Hermione asked a little frightened that Mr. Flich, Hogwarts caretaker would catch them.

"Mrs. Norris" Harry said in a whisper. But it wasn't Mrs. Norris it was Neville. He was curled up in a ball on the floor. He sat up and scrambled against the wall as they neared.

"Thank goodness you found me. I was coming back from the hospital wing and the staircases moved and I didn't know where I was…and I…" Neville said shaking. Hermione put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"It's ok, we're going back to the tower too, and you can come with us" Hermione told him and Neville sniffed and nodded his head. They fluttered along the corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high window and suddenly stopped when they heard a voice. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner" said Mr. Flich's gravelly voice. Horror struck Harry waved madly at the other two to follow him as quickly as possible. Neville's robes barely whipped round the corner when they heard Flich enter the room.

The three of them sprint down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Flich was following them. They swung around the doorpost and gallop down one corridor then another. Harry was in the lead without any idea where they were going. They continued to run when they reached a corridor with a door at the end. They ran to it and Neville rattled the doorknob, it wouldn't budge. "It's locked" he said the panic rising in his voice.

Hermione gently pushed him aside and pulled out her wand. "_Alohomora_!" she said and they saw a purple spark, heard the click of the lock and door swung open. "Get in!" they piled in quickly, shut it and listened with their ears pressed against the door.

They heard Flich and the nails of Mrs. Norris as they ran past them. "He thinks this door is locked" Harry whispered and let out the breath he had been holding, again thankful that Hermione knew all the spells.

"I…I…know…why" They heard Neville's quivering voice and turn around and looked straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor, a dog that had three heads, three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew the only reason they weren't dead yet was that their sudden appearance had taken the giant dog by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that as they heard a low rumple come from deep within its throat.

Harry groped for the doorknob; they fell backwards when he got the door open. Hermione and Harry quickly slam the door shut. They didn't have much time to calm their racing hearts because they heard Flich's voice still calling for them and took off running and didn't stop until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. "Pig snout, pig snout!" The three of them shouted the portrait and it swung open. They scrambled into the common run and stopped to catch their breath. It was awhile before anyone spoke, Neville looked like he'd never speak again.

"What are they thinking keeping that thing locked up in a school" Harry said and sat down on one of the couches.

"Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked them.

"I…I wasn't looking at its feet, all I saw were its heads" Neville replied.

"It was standing on a trap door. Which means, it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something." She told them.

"Guarding something?" Harry asked, as he had also been preoccupied with the dogs three heads.

"I would imagine that would be only reason something like that would be allowed in the school" Hermione said. She was trying to put on a brave face but heart was beating rapidly and she felt like crying but she didn't want to do it in front of them. So she swallowed and said "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed, we'll have to visit Hagrid another time. I've had enough excitement for one day"

Harry agreed with her even though the dog was locked up in the room, he didn't feel like venturing outside right now who knew what other large creatures roamed the forests by Hagrid's hut.

As he climbed into bed he finally had time to think about what Hermione had said. If the dog was guarding something…and Hagrid had told him the next safest place to hide something besides Gringotts was Hogwarts. So it looked like they had found where Hagrid had hidden the gubby little package he had taken from vault seven hundred and thirteen.

Tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. the characters and world belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: I wasn't planning on changing the whole story, I was just making one about Harry and Hermione and what would thier adventures have been like without Ron in the picture. Would they have fallen love if there was only a duo, instead of a trio?

**When Harry Met Hermione**

What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if Ron wasn't a big part of their lives? Which means no Ginny either. Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter story.

Book 1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* * *

**Heroes**

The next morning him and Hermione were trying to figure what Hagrid had removed from Gringotts and why it needed such heavy protection. "It's either really valuable, really dangerous or both" she said but they didn't have much chance guessing what it was without further clues. Neville hadn't shown the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor, all he cared about was never going near the dog again.

They stopped talking as they made their way to their seats of the Charms classroom that they had with the Slytherin house.

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly." Professor Flitwick told them as he began his lesson. "Do you have your feathers? Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Hum! The "Swish and Flick". Everyone "Swish and Flick. Good! Oh, and enunciate! _Wingardium leviosa_. Off you go, then!"

The entire class repeated "Wingardium leviosa!"

Harry watched as Hermione's feather rose into the air. "Well done! See here, everyone! Miss Granger's done it! Splendid!" Professor Flitwick told the class and Hermione grinned. The rest of class looked back down at their feathers and shouted. "Wingardium leviosa... Wingardium leviosa!"

Ronald Weasley was next to them wildly waving his wand around saying the words. "No, stop, stop, stop! You're going to take someones eye out!" Hermione said and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's "levi-o-sa", not "levio-sar".

Then everyone was startled by a large boom and they all turned towards Seamus who managed to make his feather explode.

After the lesson they followed the Slytherin house out into the courtyard. "Hey, Weasley" Draco said doing his best Professor Snape expression. "What do you get if you mix a Chizpurfle and a Flobberworm?"

"Let's see an annoying affinity to magic, brown coloring and boring...Hermione Granger" Ron answered smiling proudly as the rest of the Slytherin house started laughing.

Harry turned to look at her but she had already rushed past him and bumped into Ron in her hurry to get out of the courtyard. Harry walked faster to get in front of Ron and Draco and glared them, he's about to say something when Professor Snape walked up to them.

"Is there a problem here?" Snape asked looking at them.

"No, Sir" Draco answered. Snape then turned to look at Harry.

Snape already hated him for no reason there's no point in getting more points taken from Gryffindor and besides he needed to go see if Hermione was ok. "No, Sir" he answered. When Snape left, he glared at Draco and Ron one more time then left to try and catch up to Hermione. But he couldn't find her through the crowd. He got really worried when she didn't show up for their next class so he went searching for her but she was nowhere to be found.

He walked to the Great Hall with the other students for the Halloween feast. When he sat down at the table he asked Neville. "Have you seen Hermione?"

"Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon, crying." Neville told him. Harry felt bad but never had friends that were girls before, he really didn't know what he could do; he didn't know how to help a crying girl. So he figured maybe she'd get over it after she had a good cry.

Suddenly the Great Hall doors slam open and Professor Quirrell sprints in. "Troll in the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon! Thought you ought to know. Hu..." he then pitched forward and in a loud thud hit the floor.

It took a moment for Professor Quirrell's words to sink in then everyone in the hall started to panic. Dumbledore stood up and purple firecrackers shot out from his wand. "Silence! Everyone will please not panic! Now, prefects, will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

"Gryffindors, keep up, please, and stay alert!" Percy barked at them.

"How could a troll get in? Harry asked Neville.

"Don't ask me, they're not that bright" Neville answered.

Harry suddenly remembered. "Hermione! She doesn't know!" he said and started to panic for his friend. He broke away from the group and stared towards the girl's bathroom. He was just about there when he heard a thumping sound, he stopped and peered around the corner and saw it, the troll. It had a great huge lumpy body that was a dull, granite gray. The troll was at least twelve feet tall and looked like a boulder with a small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks. The smell coming from it was incredible, it was a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet that no one seems to clean. The sound was coming from the huge wooden club it dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

Harry's heartbeat sped up as the troll opened the door to the girls bathroom. Hermione he screams silently to himself. He had to save her, he sprinted towards the bathroom just as he heard her scream. He wasn't thinking about anything besides getting her out of there, he pulled open the door and saw Hermione shrinking against the wall opposite looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her knocking off the sinks as it went.

He needed to do something to get it away from her. He looked around the bathroom and picked up a part of the broken sink and whipped it at the trolls head. The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione, it lumbered around blinking stupidly so Harry threw another piece. Then it finally figured out where the pieces were coming from and it turned around and saw him, it hesitated then made straight for him lifting its club high in the air.

"Run, Hermione!" Harry told her as the troll made it's way to him, he pulled out his wand that he had forgotten he had when the fear and panic took over. The troll was getting closer to him. _Think, think _he told himself. "Expelliarmus" Harry shouted and the trolls club flew out his hand and crashed into the wall behind. Harry smiled proudly that he remembered a charm that he and Hermione had worked on, she felt that they weren't learning fast enough so they were practicing on their own, but he still needed to learn more. His elation didn't last long as the troll had gotten over its confusion of losing its club and its mean little eyes glared at Harry. The troll picked up its long arm and takes a swing at him.

The good thing about trolls he learned is that they are as stupid as they are slow, he sprinted around so he's behind the troll who looked around confused and Harry used that to jump up and land on the trolls neck, the force of his jump had made his wand go straight up one of the trolls nostrils. The troll was now howling in pain.

Hermione made her way towards the door shaking in fright. She looks to see that Harry had jumped on the trolls back and it was twisting and flailing its body, fearing that troll was going to bash Harry into the wall she pulled out her wand. "Stupefy" she shouted.

The troll froze in mid swing then pitched forward and hit the ground in a resound thud that made the whole room tremble.

"Umphh" Harry said as he fell forward still holding tightly onto the trolls neck. He picked himself up and rolled off the troll after it hit the groun. He got to his feet shaking and out of breath. Hermione ran into his arms trying to catch her breath between sobs. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her holding on to her trying to calm his own racing heart.

Hermione pulled away from him slightly embarrassed when she realized what they were doing. But Harry didn't seem to notice or mind. He left her side and knelt down to take his wand out of the trolls nostril. They both look disgusted as his wand drips with the trolls boogies. He picked up a towel off the floor and wiped his wand clean. "Stupefy, that would've been a better one, should've used it" He told her realizing that her spell was much more effective.

"Yes, it...would've" she agreeed with a small smile that didn't hide little quiver still in her voice.

"Oh, my goodness! Ex-explain yourselves, both of you!" They heard Professor McGonagall's voice say to them. They didn't even hear anyone else enter the room. But she had entered along with Professor's Quirrell and Snape. They look over and saw Neville peering behind the doorway.

Hermione remembered that Snape wasn't too fond of Harry she didn't want him to get any more trouble. "It's my fault, Professor McGonagall."

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall looked at her in surprise.

"I went looking for the troll. I've read about them, and I thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry hadn't come and found me... I'd probably be dead." He saved her life, she owed him that much so she'd take the blame and the punishment. Harry risked his life for her, she's never had anyone save her life before.

Harry was shocked that Hermione took all the blame; he figured she never wanted to get in trouble. And what she was telling McGonagall wasn't entirely true; she saved his too life too. Her knowledge of spells saved them both he wouldn't known any if it wasn't for teaching him.

"Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part and I am very disappointed in you Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. " Professor McGonagall told her and Hermione looked down defeated.

"As for you Mr. Potter, well, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first year students could take on a fully-grown mountain troll, and live to tell the tale! Five points... will be awarded to you... for sheer dumb luck."

Harry looked at the ground and noticed a cut on Snape's leg; the dark haired wizard sees him and pulled his ropes over the cut. The troll made a noise and McGonagall rushed them out off the bathroom.

"I'm sorry" Neville said to them as they walked back to the Gryffindor tower.

"What?" Hermione asked still shaken up by what had happened.

"I told Professor McGonagall and…I got you in trouble"

Hermione looked at Neville. "No, you did the right thing, getting a teacher" Harry looked down at her shaking hand and covered it with his own; she gave him a weak smile but squeezed tightly.

Once inside the common room, Harry told them about the cut he saw on Snape's leg. "I think Snape let the troll in to create a diversion so he could try and get what the three-headed dog was guarding." He told them. So they could at least try and think of something else besides almost getting killed by a troll.

"So now we know that Hagrid hid something he got from Gringotts and Snape wants it, the only thing we don't know is what it is" Hermione said thinking about it, anything was better than thinking about the fact that she could've died.

Despite thinking about the secret package he and Hermione didn't sleep well that night or the next, they had both dreamed that the troll was angry and had come back for them. So they had trouble staying awake at the breakfast table. Harry wasn't hungry but he knew he should eat; he had his first Quidditch match today. Oliver Wood, the team captain had given him a quick lesson on Quiddtich a few days earlier but he didn't think that was enough.

Hermione knew that Harry not only had the troll and the secret package on his mind, he was also worried about playing Quidditch in front of the whole school. So she smiled secretly to herself when she saw the owls fly into the room. A large long package dropped in front of Harry who was surprised because he never got any mail and didn't know anyone that would send him mail. The rest of the table surrounded and him told him to open it. He undoes the twine wrapped around it and the paper fell open and revealed a broom. His face lit up.

"It's a Nimbus two thousand!" Seamus and Dean said in shocked unison.

"Who's it from, Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry looked around to see if there was a note attached and he found it. He read it quickly to himself first. "Good luck and remember it's in your blood" he saw that there is no signature but he knew who it's from and he smiled up at her.

She wanted to do something for him because he had risked his life to get her, so she sent an owl to her parents and asked them to pick up a broomstick in Diagon Alley she had spent some time reading which was the best broomstick for Quidditch. They were probably apprehensive since they were still scared of the wizarding world but they came through and she was happy that they did.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats were high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. Hermione took a seat next to Neville in the stands excitedly waiting for the game to start. She'd never seen a Quidditch match, she wasn't much for sports in the muggle world but this one was played by flying through the air and Harry was on the team. She ignored the jeers and insults coming from Ron and Draco in the Slytherin stands. She wasn't going to let them ruin her good mood. She'd see Harry fly so she knew he could beat them.

"Hello! Welcome to Hogwart's first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan the announcer said. "The players take their positions"

Tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. the characters and world belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: I wasn't planning on changing the whole story, I was just making one about Harry and Hermione and what would their adventures have been like without Ron in the picture. Would they have fallen love if there was only a duo, instead of a trio?

**When Harry Met Hermione**

What if Harry wasn't late getting to Kings Cross Station and met a bushy brunette girl first? What if Ron wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if Ron wasn't a big part of their lives? Which means no Ginny either. Would Harry and Hermione have ended up together if the circumstances were different? An AU Harry Potter story.

Book 1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* * *

**Quidditch**

Hermione watched the game with interest while Lee Jordan told everyone what was happening on the field because even though the stands were high in the air it was still difficult to see everything that was going on. She jumped up and cheered when Angelina Johnson Gryffindor's Chaser scored. "Bin watchin' from me hut" said Hagrid and she squeezed closer to Neville when Hagrid joined them in the stands. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. How's 'Arry doin'?

"Nothing yet" Dean Thomas answered.

Hermione looked at Harry floating high in the air looking for the Snitch, and then she put her hands over her mouth as a bludger nearly took him out but he moved over just in time. That was the exact reason she didn't watch muggle sports they were far to violent for her tastes.

Harry's heartbeat sped up as he narrowly escaped getting a bludger to the head; after he calmed down as he resumed his search for the Snitch. Then he saw it a flash of gold and he excitedly dived downward after it. Terence Higgs the Syltherin Seeker had seen it as well and now they both hurled toward the streak of gold speeding across the field.

He was faster than Higgs and could see the little round ball wings fluttering just in front of him. He put on extra burst of speed when he felt himself being knocked away. His broom spun off course and he held on for dear life.

He heard people in the stands shouting foul and Lee Jordan's commenting on the cheating by Marcus Flint and being silenced by Professor McGonagall. Harry shook it off and began to look for the Snitch again. He was now more determined than ever to win.

As the game continued he had to dodge another bludger, but then it happened his broom gave a frightening lurch, almost making him lose his grip he held on tightly with both hands as he tried to gain control of his broom but he realized he couldn't. The broom was trying to buck him off and he knew brooms didn't do that. His broom was now zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.

No one else had noticed Harry's strange behavior but she had. Hermione watched as Harry's broom took him higher and higher, jerking and twitching as it went. She knew that someone was doing that to his broom it was the only explanation.

At first Hermione thought it might be Draco and Ron, well Draco since Ron wasn't very good a spell casting messing around with Harry. But they were barely able to stand upright between fits of laughter and to perform a spell like that one needed to keep direct eye contact. So she looked around the stands again and saw Snape sitting stock still staring at Harry without blinking. Now she didn't like to think a teacher would intentionally harm a student, but she had to admit Snape had an intense dislike for Harry for a reason they couldn't figure out.

Harry's broom was now rolling over and over and Hermione gasped as he fell, but he managed to grab a hold of his broom with his hands and was dangling dangerously above the field.

She needed to stop Snape but she needed to make sure it was him she asked Dean if she could borrow his binoculars and looked through them and she saw Snape muttering to himself, he was the one casting the spell. She needed to save Harry; if he fell from that height it would be devastating. She couldn't let that happen.

She threw Dean's binoculars back to him and ran from the stands to get to Snape. She wasn't going to let him hurt Harry. She snuck around underneath the bleachers and looked for Snape's long black cape it wasn't hard to find when she did, she pulled out her wand and whispered "Incendio"

The people around Snape shouted "You're on fire" and he jumped up while others tried to put out the fire out. Hermione looked back at Harry and his broom had righted itself and he was in the process of trying to get back onto it. When he did, he shot off towards the ground. Hermione looked back at Snape to see if he was continuing his jinx but he was still too busy putting out the last remaining flames on his cape. She looked back at Harry as he landed on the ground with his hand clapped over his mouth like he was about to be sick. He fell on all fours and coughed and something gold fell into his hand.

"Harry Potter has got the Snitch, Gryffindor wins!" Lee Jordon shouted after the confusion had worn off and they realized what Harry had coughed up.

After a lot of good cheers and changing out his Quidditch uniform he and Hermione went with Hagrid to his hut. They were greeted by Fang Hagrid's huge boarhound that slobbered all over them drenching them in drool.

"It was Professor Snape" Hermione told them as she used a dish towel the size of a bath towel to wipe the drool off of her arms.

"Rubbish" Hagrid answered. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

"Because he hates me" Harry suggested. He knew Hermione told him not to tell anyone about their discovery but he liked Hagrid and decided to tell him the truth after all Hagrid took him with to get that package from Gringotts. "I found out something about him" Harry told Hagrid. "He tried to get past the three headed dog on Halloween and it bit him. He was trying to steal whatever the dog was guarding"

"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid asked dropping his giant teapot that made a loud clanging sound as it hit the floor. Hermione and Harry had to cover their ears until the ringing in them stopped. Then they asked Hagrid to repeat what he said.

"Fluffy?" Hermione asked. "That thing has a name?"

"Yeah—he's mine –I bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the…"

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now don't ask me anymore" said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is"

"But Snape's trying to steal it"

"Rubbish, Snape's a Hogwart's teacher, he'd do nothing of the sort."

"Then why did he try to kill Harry?" Hermione asked. She didn't want to believe it but she saw it with her own eyes. "I know a jinx when I see one, I've read all about them and that is what Snape was doing to Harry's broomstick"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong" Hagrid said angrily. "I don't know why Harry's broom acted like that but Snape wouldn't try 'an kill a student. Yer meddlin' in things that don' concern you. You forget that dog and what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel…"

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?" Hermione asked.

Hagrid refused to open his mouth anymore, so they thanked him for the tea and left his hut.

Hermione then spent whatever time they weren't in classes searching the library for Nicolas Flamel. The only problem was they didn't know who Nicolas Flamel was and why he would get himself in a book or if he was even in one. Hermione had looked through several subjects and titles but wasn't having any luck. They wondered if it might be the restricted section, but unfortunately you need permission from a teacher to look in any of the restricted books because they contained information on powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, so they knew they'd never get that.

Christmas was approaching and several feet of snow covered the ground and the lake was frozen. They couldn't wait for the holidays to start. Hermione didn't want him to spend the holidays alone at the school so she asked her parents if Harry could come skiing with them. They had heard about Harry saving her life so they were delighted at the chance to thank him properly.

Hermione's parents had rented a cabin for the holidays and Harry dropped his luggage in his room. It was a small cozy room with bed and some dressers and having gone from a closet under the stairs to the dormitories at Hogwarts to this it was perfect. After he had settled in Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon teaching him how to ski. He could fly on broom stick but was having trouble using two long wooden sticks on feet.

They had gone down the smallest hill they could find and he kept telling Hermione that she could go down the bigger ones with her parents he was fine sitting and watching everyone else ski but she wouldn't leave his side. After she had enough teaching him for day they went inside and drank warm cocoa by the fire.

By the next day he resigned to the fact that he'd never the hang of maneuvering himself on skis. He was meant to fly in the air not roll face first down hills. He figured Hermione had given up on him too but was too polite to say anything. Finally she sighed and asked if he wanted to build snowmen outside the cabin.

Hermione had made a snow cat and he was busy making a snowman Snape because he found the perfect stick for Snape's hooked nose. Then he proceeded to throw snowballs at it, then knocked its head off and watched it roll down the hill, then WHACK, he jumped around as the icy cold snow went down his back. He looked around and saw Hermione tossing a snowball up in the air and catching it again with a cheeky grin on her face.

He barely had time to duck as another snowball sailed past his head. He hid behind what remained of his Snape snowman and started making his own snowballs. He peered around the snowman and saw Hermione kneeling in the snow packing it together, he stood up and hit her right in the shoulder and she fell over. She got up shook herself off and aimed another one at him; she missed and hit his snowman. He threw another but she ducked behind a tree.

He aimed one at the branch above her and the snow tumbled down on top of her. She fell to the ground then he got worried that he had hurt her when she didn't get up so he left his snowballs behind and ran to her. He kneeled down and saw her bright red jacket and mittens peeking out from the snow. "Hermione" he said with worry in his voice then was met with a face full of snow as she came up laughing. He grinned and laughed with her as he wiped the snow from his face.

They laughed and threw snowballs until Hermione's parents called them in for supper.

On Christmas morning Harry was woken up early by Hermione knocking on the door to his room, he never really enjoyed Christmas with the Dursleys, Dudley would wake him early so he could shove all the presents he got in front of Harry's face and then he'd have to watch Dudley open all of them while he got nothing.

But this morning he got up and followed Hermione to the living room where they had a small tree set up. He saw a couple of presents underneath it and Hermione was waiting patiently for him to join her in front of the tree where she already separated the presents into piles. She told him which was his. He told Grangers that they didn't need to get him anything but they said it was Christmas it was the time of giving.

Hermione insisted that he go first, since she knew he never really had a proper Christmas with his relatives. Harry opened the present from Mr. and Mrs. Granger first, they gotten up a shirt and a pair of slacks. He thanked them since this was the first time he had gotten new clothes most of his were the clothes that didn't fit his cousin anymore and were often three sizes too big.

Harry had gotten Mr. Granger a tie and Mrs. Granger some tea since he really had never bought Christmas presents before he figured those were things they could use. His next present was from Hermione from the wrapping he could tell it was a book and he expected that from her. She loved books more than anyone he knew. He put a smile on his face it was probably a spell book since she kept telling him he needed to learn more spells. He tore the paper to reveal the book it was titled _In Pursuit of Golden Glory- Famous catches by Quidditch Seekers through the Ages _by Ryan Catcher.

Harry opened the book, the first page held a picture with a light blue and dark blue streak zooming across the page. Harry watched the streak with interest then suddenly it looked like the blue streak was heading straight towards him at a speed so great it looked like it was going to jump out of the page. Then just as suddenly as it appeared it stopped and a figure dressed in light blue ropes with a dark blue double T on it materialized. The man with a head of wild blond hair held his hand arm high above his head and the fluttering wings of the golden snitch were visible though the crevices of his hand.

Harry read the excerpt on the bottom of the page. Seeker: Roderick Plumpton; Year: 1921; Time caught: 3 ½ seconds. Fastest catch ever recorded. Known as the Plumpton Pass.

Harry grinned at Hermione, he knew he was going to like reading this book. He put the book down and handed Hermione the present he got her. "You didn't have to get me anything, Harry" she told him. He just smiled as she opened the box. He didn't really know what to get her for Christmas he's never shopped for a girl before. And he was too embarrassed to ask the other girls what she liked. He was about to settle on some candy but then a girl in their year named Luna Lovegood whom Harry thought to be a bit strange came up to one day and suggested a sweater. He looked at her because he was wondering if she read his mind or something. Luna just stared at him with a half dazed expression and said a sweater would be nice. He wasn't sure about it but he did notice that Hermione had quite a few sweaters in a particular style. So that's what he purchased, he hoped she liked it.

She pulled out the red and black stripped sweater and peered over it to look at him and held it against her chest. "I love it, Harry. Thank you" she said with a genuine smile. Then she ran upstairs to put it on.

"Oh" Hermione's father said. "There's one more for you Harry" He said reaching under the tree and holding out another present. "It just arrived this morning by Owl" He told him.

Harry stared at, who could it possibly be from he didn't know anyone else. "Open it, Harry" Hermione said coming back down the stairs wearing the sweater. It was a large square box wrapped in dark purple wrapping paper with a velvet red bow on top it was also very light. Harry pulled on the bow and it fell apart then he tore through the paper and opened the box inside he saw a shining silvery cloth. He reached out to touch it and pulled his hand away it was like nothing he's ever felt before. It was strange, like water woven into the material.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno" Harry replied. He pulled out the cloth; it was a cloak of some sort. He held up and threw it around his shoulders.

He heard Hermione and her parents as they gasped in surprise. "Harry, your body's invisible" Hermione told him. Harry looked down at his feet and saw that she was right; the rest of his body was gone. He ran to the mirror and saw just his head floating in mid air. It was a cloak that made the wearer invisible.

"There's a note dear" Hermione's mother said holding it out to him, her hands visibly shaking. They accepted that their daughter was a witch and they were proud but they were still frightened by what magic could do. Harry took the note and read it out loud, it was written in handwriting that he didn't recognize.

"Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A very Merry Christmas to you." Harry reread the note a few times and searched for a signature but there was none. Did this really belong to his father?

Hermione had her hands covering her face. Someone had given him something that belonged to his father. She leaned into her mother shoulder and her mother put her arms around her and smiled at Harry.

"Does it say who it's from?" Mr. Granger asked.

"No" Harry said shaking his head.

After they had their Christmas supper, he and Hermione were sitting by the fire, she was reading one of the many books she brought with her and he was flipping through his Seeker book watching all the famous catches. Then suddenly he got an idea. "Hermione?" he asked.

She looked up from her reading. "Yes"

"When we get back to school we can start searching for Nicolas Flamel" He told her.

"We already did, there's nothing in the library about him" She replied.

"But now we have a way of getting into the restricted section"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, and then her face brightened up. "Harry your invisibility cloak. That's brilliant" He grinned at her.

Tbc…


End file.
